In times of crisis mines and discoveries always have generated new activities and new jobs.Cities today are great yet undiscovered mines of waste materials and local economic networks (circular economy).

The idea is to create a fab lab network that – through innovative co-design activities – can use waste materials before final disposal, in order to restore, through repair, new smart products or restore, by reparing, their original use.

The target marginal groups, with and without skills are over 50s, migrants, mothers, mental or physical disabilities.

Local authorities will be involved (various departments), but also networks of municipalities committed to smart cities, zero waste , agende21, social coops, coworking and FabLab services, national and international reuse networks.
The tools: open innovative methodologies, innovative repair and OpenData programs on waste, web platform.

We will intervene on wood, iron, aggregates, textile, hospital textile , WEEE , some fraction of organic, ecc.
3 types of business models :
Service and coproduction (repair training and new design)
Barter
Brokerage

Expected results: 30 centers in two years, 1,000 people occupied with an income, reducing waste and increasing the efficiency of resource use.
Obstacles: legislation and the need for strong public-private partnership

About the competition

Over 25 million Europeans are out of work. On top of that, many people are stuck in low-paid jobs or sense that they have few opportunities on the job market – sometimes because of their gender, age or a handicap.

This Competition invites any European to come up with new solutions to create new opportunities for work, and for better work. Not doing anything about unemployment and under-employment is not just cruel and wasteful; the corrosive effects of high unemployment will cast a shadow over the economy and our society for years to come.

The second Competition was launched on 11 October 2013. This edition keeps the same focus, the Job Challenge – to help people move towards work or create new types of work. The following rules apply.